ABOUT TAE KWON DO:

Tae Kwon Do is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our bodies and mind.  Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation and stands among the official games in the Olympics.

Tae Kwon Do literally means the way of the hand and foot. “Tae” means “foot”, “leg”, or “to step on”; “Kwon” means “fist” or “fight”; and “Do” means the “way” or “Discipline”.

First, Tae Kwon Do is the right way of using Tae and Kwon “fists and feet”. Second, it is a way to control or calm down fights and keep the peace. This concept comes from the meaning of Tae Kwon and puts fists under control. Thus Tae Kwon Do means “the right way of using all parts of the body to stop fights and build a better and more peaceful world.

Tae Kwon Do is a way of life, much like having a job, raising a family, or fighting for a cause. What makes Tae Kwon Do different from these is that it is an activity for survival in extremely antagonistic situations. One must always overcome the enemy that is trying to cause harm.  But simply winning a fight is not enough to guarantee one's safety, because the enemy may recuperate and attack again.  Moreover, there may be many other enemies than the one that was just defeated.  One cannot ever feel safe unless one gains permanent peace. To attain this permanent or lasting peace, one needs unity. This is what Tae Kwon Do aims for. Otherwise Tae Kwon Do would be no different from any other street-fighting skills.

Tae Kwon Do pursues harmonious growth and improvements of life through its unique activities. This is why one could say Tae Kwon Do is a way of life. To ultimately enable ourselves to lead more valuable lives, we would do well by finding the guiding principles deeply hidden in Tae Kwon Do.

OUR STYLE:

Our primary teaching is Tae Kwon Do.   PAMA teaches the WTF forms used in Olympic competition.  Our students test and receive full Kukkiwon accreditation from the WTF for Black Belt, allowing them to compete and be recognized world wide.

Our sparring is point sparring with light contact; safety is of the utmost importance in our school for adults and children. Sparring is introduced after about 6-8 months of training, and in a safe controlled manner with proper sparring gear protection.  Olympic sparring is offered for students who want full contact. Some students "live to spar", and may want to compete in state, regional, or Olympic competition.  

Most will want to learn what it is like to spar an opponent in case they need to defend themselves, or for class competitions, but have no desire to compete at a higher level.  And still others may want to just learn self-defense techniques, and spar as little as possible.   We have a spot for you, no matter what your preference in this area.

As you progress towards Black Belt, you learn other self defenses from other areas such as grappling, boxing, Hapkido, and weapons.  We have incorporated the best curriculum from these large and respected organizations and added to the Tae Kwon Do curriculum.